A Magistrates court allowed the detention of John Karima Wainaina, a suspect linked to the Sh1.5 billion heist at Equity Bank, for 10 days to allow for forensic investigations.
Wainaina, who was arrested on November 9 at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), had been under surveillance by police, who tracked his movements after he returned from China.
Wainaina is believed to be part of an organized criminal group involved in bank fraud and money laundering, using insider connections to infiltrate the bank’s IT systems.
Following the heist in July, Wainaina fled to China, where he remained until his recent return to Nairobi this month.
His arrest follows a series of investigations, which also led to the capture of David Machiri Kimani, an Equity Bank manager implicated in processing fraudulent transactions amounting to nearly Sh1.5 billion before the funds were transferred to rival banks.
Police seek to retrieve critical evidence, including emails, text messages and CCTV footage, as part of the ongoing investigation.
